ISWI Chapter 562-563

Chapter 562: A Promising Future for Grandma!

Ye Chen's final promise was utterly sincere—gifting was his forte, after all. Seeing Manjusaka accept the Three Yin True Water and thank him, his system chimed:

"Congratulations, host, gift successful…"

"Gift: Three Yin True Water!"

"500x feedback in progress."

"Detected: Gift is critical to recipient, triggering intense…"

"Critical hit triggered!"

"Reward: Earth-Splitting Divine Stone!"

"Earth-Splitting Divine Stone: In the Unity realm, refine into your domain to greatly enhance its amplification effects. Its divine marks can unlock domain potential, generating or strengthening Domain Divine Abilities."

Though not a max critical hit, the reward impressed Ye Chen. Perfect for his already formidable domain, it would amplify it further, crushing foes' hopes. As for Domain Divine Abilities, he didn't expect a stone to birth more—his eight were already unprecedented.

But after experiencing the might of "Two Lives as One," he eagerly anticipated the rest. Refining this stone to awaken the others early would massively boost his strength.

His gaze on Manjusaka grew even more satisfied. The only flaw? Her 500x multiplier was low. A higher multiplier would yield better rewards. But she was just a soul now—once her body was restored, her multiplier would soar. Truly, Grandma was young at heart with a bright future.

Especially since Su Yuxuan couldn't critical hit but often had special needs. If Manjusaka's multiplier rose as a middleman, the feedback would be phenomenal.

Ye Chen waved, smiling. "No need for formalities, Senior. If you need anything, message Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. I'll rush to Central Continent to help. Crafting your body is paramount. Don't skimp on materials. If anything's hard to find, tell me—I'll do everything to secure you a perfect body!"

His earnest generosity deepened Manjusaka's moving. She'd been too narrow-minded before. Who said the cultivation world lacked good men? Here was one.

Su Yuxuan, puzzled, stared at Ye Chen. "Senior Brother, are you… into my Master? I wouldn't mind getting closer to Master, but she's not like that!"

She mused inwardly—her Senior Brother's tastes were getting wild. He'd once mocked Master's inability to protect, wounding her.

Now? Offering to rush to Central Continent at her call, ignoring Central Continent's prodigies yet jumping for her Master. Such a shift! He even eyed her soul-only Master. Would he chase weirder cultivators next? She worried deeply.

Manjusaka glared at Su Yuxuan, her soul diving into her disciple's sea of spirit sense.

Ye Chen, used to such misunderstandings, didn't bother explaining. He flew with Su Yuxuan to the sky, pointing at the two Nether God elders. "What about them?"

Su Yuxuan eyed them, pondering. The elders, trembling, pleaded, "I control a Nether Immortal Pool, boosting Nine Nether Scriptures' cultivation, ideal for Unity breakthroughs. It's usable every century—perfect for the Nether Maiden! I have a Purple Crystal Nether Stone, ideal for Nether God Bodies. As a main material for a Dao Weapon, it eases the strain of maintaining their Divine Ability channel… It's meant for the Fifth Nether Maiden, the only Nether God Body this generation! Please, Nether Maiden, forgive us—we were deceived by the First Nether Son…"

The two elders knew their fate hinged on Su Yuxuan's whim, so they acted wisely. Su Yuxuan's lips curved—she didn't care about their betrayal. With the First Nether Son dead, their support would secure her greater benefits in the Holy Land.

Smiling sweetly, she said, "Exactly, it's all the First Nether Son's fault! Thank you, Elders, for the opportunities."

Relieved by her response, the elders relaxed. Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, smiling at them. "Yuxuan is my partner, but I can't yet go to Central Continent due to some matters… Please take good care of her."

The elders waved off his politeness, not daring to act superior. They'd seen Ye Chen's strength clearly—slaying the formidable First Nether Son in one strike and treating the equally powerful Heavenly Intention Holy Son like a toy. Such a prodigy, whether he ascended or not, would inevitably dominate the immortal path. Surpassing them was just a matter of time. They knew their place. Hearing Ye Chen confirm Su Yuxuan as his woman erased any thoughts of reneging.

From chatting with Heavenly Evolution's elders, they learned how fiercely protective Ye Chen was of his women. Touching or even looking at them was forbidden. The Heavenly Intention Holy Son's gruesome end—sparked by his brother glancing at Ye Chen's master—proved it. A trivial matter led to such a prodigy's downfall. Ye Chen's women were untouchable.

…

From the sky, Ye Chen watched Su Yuxuan and the elders leave, sighing. Who knew when they'd meet again? Not too long, likely, with the immortal path opening soon—he wouldn't miss it.

At that moment, a light boat sailed from the Endless Sea's depths. A refined, transcendent young man in white, bathed in soft holy light, stood aboard. He scanned the crowd, nodding politely to each, his demeanor gentle and elegant. Finally, his gaze settled on Ye Chen, offering a warm smile.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, sensing the man's strength. His temperament resembled Senior Brother's—not sharp like most prodigies, but exceptionally gentle. Which Central Continent prodigy was this?

Chapter 563: Alkaid Holy Son!

"Eh, why's this generation's Alkaid Holy Son here?"

Feng Baiyu raised an eyebrow, recognizing the young man. Top prodigies were well-known. Though Alkaid's physique was unknown, he once debated the Myriad Races' Heavenly Demon Body without fighting. The Demon Body admitted he couldn't read Alkaid. Lacking a prodigy's arrogance and with noble status, Alkaid remained unchallenged, yet ranked third among the ten prodigies—likely underestimated. Everyone awaited his true battle.

His portrait circulated widely, so Feng Baiyu identified him instantly.

Alkaid's starry eyes sparkled as he smiled, bowing to Feng Baiyu. "Greetings, Holy Master Fang. Our elders often praise you—your reputation is well-earned."

Then, he turned to Ye Chen.

"I came to the Endless Sea because an elder's lifespan is fading. I heard a great power once cultivated human-shaped longevity medicine here, so I sought it out. No luck, sadly. But meeting Brother Ye, this generation's Heavenly Emperor heir, makes the trip worthwhile."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the longevity medicine. With eight immortal roots collected, the remaining four tied to lifespan. Gifting such a treasure could complete his set via feedback.

Alkaid, like Senior Brother, was polite and strong—likely the strongest of his generation Ye Chen had met. Truly, the mightier, the humbler; only half-baked talents like Ying Tiansheng flaunted.

Ye Chen smiled. "Brother, you're the radiant one!"

Alkaid chuckled lightly. "They say this Heavenly Emperor heir lacks an invincible heart, but seeing you, I know it's nonsense. With your strength, you likely disdain such fame. I admire you…"

Ye Chen waved it off. "Exaggerated, exaggerated…"

Alkaid said no more. "I'm returning to Central Continent. I look forward to meeting you there, Brother Ye, for tea and discussion with a few friends."

Ye Chen nodded, watching him leave.

"He's one step from Mahayana," Feng Baiyu remarked. "This Alkaid Holy Son is something else—far stronger than the last. He'll be your immortal path rival. Pity his Immortal Platform Third Heaven protector, or we could've kept him here…"

Feng Baiyu sighed, lamenting the missed chance, showing no trace of a powerhouse's dignity.

Ye Chen, immune to his Holy Master's antics, shrugged off the "rival" talk. Alkaid was strong—top of their generation—but no match for him. No one in his generation was, not even the Heavenly Emperor Hall's female Chaos Body.

…

Far away, Alkaid's gentle glow dimmed as he frowned. Ying Tiansheng was one of his planned "great medicines." Fang Qing had warned him Ying might've grown rebellious, so Alkaid planned to harvest him early, despite his incomplete state. But he arrived too late—Ying and Fang Qing were dead.

"Ying was just one of many medicines; his loss is minor. But this Heavenly Emperor heir is shockingly strong. I thought the Heavenly Emperor Hall's attitude suggested Ye Chen was a decoy, a fake heir. Today proved me wrong. Despite my two-realm advantage, I'm not certain I'd win.

"His origin is too robust—far beyond the Heavenly Demon Body, not just from Heavy Pupils or Primordial Supreme Heart. He hides a top-tier physique. The Seven-Crown King's in seclusion. The Morality Heir uses avatars, hiding a mighty true body.

"The Heavenly Demon Body seems prominent but is just a Myriad Races' front—rumors say a True Immortal's heir with immortal blood will awaken this generation, terrifyingly strong. Now, add Ye Chen, the Heavenly Emperor heir. This final immortal path is a golden era, yet ascending is so hard!"

Alkaid sighed, but his eyes gleamed with confidence, as if he could suppress all these terrors in the future.

On the way back to the Holy Land, Ye Chen learned about the human-shaped longevity medicine. Ten thousand years ago, a Mahayana powerhouse obtained a ginseng fruit from an immortal root tree.

One fruit could grant another lifetime, its lifespan boost varying by cultivation. For Mahayana, it added 7,000 years. After consuming it, the powerhouse tried cultivating an immortal root from the seed. Though he failed, he miraculously grew a human-shaped longevity medicine.

Its fruit, resembling ginseng fruit, was far less potent, granting only 300 years per fruit, grown once every millennium. Even so, in today's cultivation world with dwindling lifespans, it was a supreme treasure.

Top sects coveted it for their ancestors' longevity; great powers sought it for breakthrough attempts. Demand for lifespan-extending treasures was immense.

The powerhouse, having used the ginseng fruit, found the longevity medicine useless and sold it, gaining fame. Sadly, he couldn't escape his fate and perished in the Endless Sea's depths. His Cave Heaven, housing the longevity medicine, vanished with him. Now, 3,000 years later, Alkaid came to the Endless Sea, hoping to find the Cave Heaven. Clearly, he failed.

…

Ye Chen dismissed the matter. After 3,000 years, the Cave Heaven's existence was uncertain. The Endless Sea teemed with demonic beasts—perhaps one had claimed it. Its vastness made searching impossible.

Back at the Holy Land, Ye Chen secluded himself to review his gains and refine Manjusaka's critical hit reward: the Earth-Splitting Divine Stone. As it melted into his brow, he felt his domain subtly transform. The Domain Divine Abilities, still gestating, began to awaken…